In just two years, every Volvo vehicle rolling off the production line will be electric. Volvo has announced that starting in 2019, every model it sells will have some sort of electrification – either in the form of a mild-hybrid system, a plug-in hybrid or a fully-electric powertrain.
The news marks a significant change for a major automaker, and it follows Volvo’s announcement last month that its Polestar brand will become a standalone high-performance EV brand. Volvo will introduce a full lineup of electrified vehicles across its model range, embracing fully electric cars, plug-in hybrid cars and 48-volt mild-hybrid cars.
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“This is about the customer,” said Håkan Samuelsson, president and chief executive of Volvo Cars. “People increasingly demand electrified cars and we want to respond to our customers’ current and future needs. You can now pick and choose whichever electrified Volvo you wish.”
Volvo currently offers plug-in hybrid versions of models like the XC90 and S90, but there aren’t any fully-electric models in its lineup. Volvo will introduce three new electric cars between 2019 and 2021, while the Polestar brand will introduce an additional two models during the same time period.
“This announcement marks the end of the solely combustion engine-powered car,” said Mr Samuelsson. “Volvo Cars has stated that it plans to have sold a total of 1m electrified cars by 2025. When we said it we meant it. This is how we are going to do it.”
Images @Volvo
